Riverhead seeks to keep odd-year elections for local races

In response to state legislation passed in 2023 to require local elections to be held concurrent with state and federal elections in even-numbered years, Riverhead Town has proposed an amendment to town code that would codify holding municipal elections in odd-numbered years.

Last December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that moves local elections statewide from odd- to even-numbered years. The move is touted to increase voter participation and expand voter access, since residents of New York state historically turn out in greater numbers in  even years. According to the governor’s website, for example, millions more New Yorkers participated in elections in 2020, when approximately 64% of eligible voters cast ballots, than in 2021, when just 25%  of eligible voters turned out for local elections around the state.

One argument against the change to even-year mandate is that local races are drowned out by the up-ballot candidates. “We lose the localness of the election when you mix it into even-year ones with bigger elections,” Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said in a recent interview. “The local elections sometimes get lost in the fray of say a presidential election. To me, it’s important to keep the local issues in the forefront.” 

Mr. Hubbard noted that, despite state rules, judges will still be selected in odd-year elections. “I’ve heard them say, ‘Well, there’ll be less elections.’ Well, you still have to have the voting, you still have to have the election workers there. You still have to have the space to do the election.” 

Changing election years for judges would require an amendment to the state constitution, a move the governor supports. The law passed last year applies to all races that can be changed through legislation.

Riverhead town attorney Erik Howard pointed out that voters have only so much bandwidth to devote to elections, and having local issues separated into odd years allows them to focus on what will affect them on a day-to-day basis. “It’s not necessarily that those issues are more important, but those issues require a certain amount of consideration before you select a candidate,”he said.

The town sees this as a matter of home rule, whereby local governments determine the best way to deal with matters unique to their own municipalities. “Local elections are purely local matters “ Mr. Howard said. “That’s something that the town should always retain its authority over, and assert that authority as previously granted.” 

“It doesn’t save any money, so it doesn’t make any sense to me,” the supervisor said. ”Why mess with it? I don’t like losing the local issues when it’s combined into the state and federal elections.” 

Mr. Howard stated at the Nov. 7 town meeting that any addition to the town code would be made  in anticipation of a legal challenge to the state’s new law.